Thermal management of computing equipment and devices is critical to their performance and reliability. The thermal management equipment used to keep these computing equipment and devices at a precise temperature consume large amounts of power.
Thermal management devices and methods exist for managing the temperature of a computing facility to provide an abundance of air at the right temperature for the computing equipment and devices house within. There are many recommendations for optimal air temperatures of computing facilities. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (ASHRAE) provides recommended ranges of humidity and air temperature of computing facilities to help save energy while keeping the computing equipment and devices performing optimally. For example, ASHRAE recommends a low end inlet air temperature of 18 degrees Celsius and a high end inlet air temperature of 27 degrees Celsius.
Many thermal management devices exist that provide for users (e.g., information technology (IT) personnel, facilities personnel, operational personnel, or the like) to keep the air temperature of computing facilities within the recommended ranges. For example, digital sensors, infrared cameras, infrared thermometers, and temperature strips can all be used to measure air temperatures associated with racks and objects contained within computing facilities. However, these thermal management devices are often too expensive and/or do not provide all the needed information.